AFL Poland celebrates Pink October

Pink smoke drifted across the Warsaw sky as women sprinted from the goal square — a moment that carried a message far bigger than the game itself.

AFL Poland’s Pink October campaign pulled an entire community into motion. Women from Warsaw, Bytom, Wrocław, Kraków, and Poznań came together to use Australian football as a vehicle for awareness, education, and unity. The message was simple: tackle breast cancer.

Photo credit: AFL Poland

Throughout October, training sessions, workshops, and charity drives rolled out across Poland.

Phil Forbes, President of AFL Poland, captured the spirit of it best: “Today’s about bringing awareness to an illness that will statistically impact women in all our lives. It’s also a celebration of the women who make our sport what it is: the players, photographers, supporters, and friends who hold our community together.”

Forbes said the idea grew after seeing clubs across Europe unite around Movember and men’s health awareness.

The campaign partnered with the Rakiety Oncology Foundation, a Polish cancer charity focused on research and education. Workshops explored risk factors linked to breast cancer and demonstrated how to check for early signs. Workshops explored breast cancer risk factors and gave participants hands-on experience checking models of healthy and cancerous tissue.

Funds came through T-shirt sales and Angels Cards, customised playing cards featuring AFL Poland athletes, coaches and umpires. Over 60 shirts and 45 decks sold, raising nearly €800 for Rakiety’s ongoing breast cancer research and support programs.

Written by Phil Forbes